Cab Driver Traffic Offenses Are On The Rise In NYC

New York is a very densely populated metropolitan city. That is nothing new. It is also a well-known fact that there are a lot of vehicles that operate on the streets of New York at any point in time. A good number of these automobiles are taxis and other transport providers. Due to the large population in New York, it is very unlikely that one will not hear of a traffic offense now and then. With the number of people who swarm into the streets and the number of persons using the motorways to try and reach somewhere, cab accident cases in new york are bound to happen.

Our Experienced Taxi Accident Law Firm Explains The Increase

These offenses have, however, increased over the recent years since the introduction of the Uber transportation
services. There is evidently more competition to get more customers. To beat the competition, some taxi drivers are forced to commit some offenses, such as illegal pick-ups and drop-offs. The offenses can also be attributed to the fact that the incumbent cab drivers do not understand the traffic rules and regulations well. But ignorance is not an excuse. That is a very popular saying in most walks of life.

The summonses that happened in this fiscal year have been reported to be the highest they have been in the recent years. It has been reported that more drivers have been found guilty by the city administrative courts, with the numbers increasing by more than 16,000, from 39,243 in 2014 up to about 55,536 in 2015. This was all according to the city records that have been filed concerning the matter.

Reduction Of The Traffic Offenses

A majority of the tickets issued by Port Authority cops, Taxi & Limousine Commission inspectors and the NYPD and went to drivers of prearranged transportation services like Uber. Uber was recently on the losing end of a recent crackdown that happened to the transport providers based in New York. Authorities in New York clamped downed on Uber transport providers after they were put under a lot of pressure from the taxi industry operators. They were seizing the cars and issuing tickets to the drivers who were caught participating in an illegal pickup in the city.

According to a representative of the Uber-Company, their drivers are not supposed to stop when they get hailed by passengers on the roadsides. It was also reported that the New York City authorities seized about 500 Uber cars, which were found violating that regulation over a span of about one and a half months. Therefore, in general, the number of tickets issued to those drivers increased by roughly 50% from the previous fiscal year. Hacks driving medallion cabs also registered a spike in the number of tickets that they were served with. Their figures were, however, lower compared to those of their compatriots in the business.

Cyclists' Traffic Offenses

Cyclists, the other road users, have also been on the receiving end of the authorities in New York City. They also contribute a large percentage of the people who use the streets on a regular basis. Contrary to what most people might say, Cyclists have not been exempted from the New York traffic regulations. They are expected to follow the rules like all the other motorists.

The cyclists that violate any of the regulations also get served with tickets and in some cases they can be taken to court. Cyclists have been known to contribute a lot to accidents that involve cabs, especially if they do not observe the rules strictly. A very common occurrence is when a cyclist is not cycling in the designated zone, and they end up crashing into a taxi that was dropping off a passenger.

For similar reading, visit our article on Dangers NY Cyclists Face With Cab Drivers.